Science, technology and nature are examined with insight, humor and an eye on the practical, with smartly paced reports on such subjects as the big-bang theory, robots, the relationship between stress and illness, and whether we are alone in the universe (more…)Science, technology and nature are examined with insight, humor and an eye on the practical, with smartly paced reports on such subjects as the big-bang theory, robots, the relationship between stress and illness, and whether we are alone in the universe. There's a good deal of fascinating information, but as long-time host Alan Alda notes in one episode, `big questions don't always have answers.'

Season 14, Episode 4 Hot Times in Alaska

First Aired: June 15, 2004

In “Hot Times in Alaska,” host Alan Alda surveys evidence of global warming, from the lack of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean to melting glaciers and thawing permafrost. “In less than one human lifespan we are witnessing geologic time,” says Army Corps of Engineers scientist Ken Tape of the changing landscape. And that's particularly bad news, because, as Alda puts it, “the north is the canary in the gold mine.”